1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for cooling components in space flight bodies, comprising a heat radiating body and a heat conducting body.
2. Prior Art
The research of space is one of the most predominant tasks of man from the planet earth. This task will increase in importance particularly for future generations of manhood, because as a result of newly made findings from space research man can profit not only due to new technologies but also due to the newly created spheres of living and the exploration of the unknown, mysterious and enigmatic.
The duration of flights into space with astronauts and other living beings, in conjunction with their stay in space, can extend in future to several earth years. Moreover, individual trips of tourists and interested persons may later be a part of daily life. The provision of effective medical and surgical help and diagnosis for travelers into space will therefore become a global problem. A system and a technology, tailored specifically for space and medicine, needs to be developed and adapted for this purpose. Cosmic medicine differs from conventional medicine on earth in respect of the following aspects:                In the state of zero gravity illnesses progress with their own specific properties, which is why specific diagnostic and treatment methods are gradually coming to light.        For this purpose it is necessary to create a new efficient medical technology which is adapted for space.        Since dimensions such a weight, volume and other technical parameters of space station equipment, including the medical technology, play a special role, they need to be adapted accordingly, i.e. they need to be reduced, minimized and optimized.        
The ambient conditions of space need to be utilized in an optimal way such as the use of solar energy by means of solar batteries for the supply with energy of the space station. Moreover, other physical factors of space such as the cosmic cold which is also a property of space and is approx. −273° C. must be used for the proper operation of both the space station as well as the cosmic devices within the station itself, including the electrical and medical technology and the provision of living conditions for the travelers.
As is generally known, low temperatures are already highly used in our time in modern electron and medical technology. Low temperatures are produced on earth by means of refrigerating machines, liquid gases and other heat-absorbing methods in order to use them in practice. A high input of energy is required for this purpose. During the trip through space there is deep coldness outside of the space station. For this reason it is possible to develop new methods and a concomitant respective technology for heat absorption directly from the inside to the outside by various objects within the space station. The heat absorption can be dosed. The following objects can be used for the dosed heat absorption:                Elements of electronic devices (processors, receiving and master control devices of the system for remote cosmic connections, etc.) which are a component of the on-board system of the space station and various research devices.        Medical technology and surgeries for hypothermia as well as cryomedical technology or cryosurgical and cryotherapeutical surgeries (miniature operating theaters) which may allow the optimal use of the cold in the treatment of various illnesses during the trip through space. The use of hypothermia, cryotherapy and refrigerating engineering and cryotechnology will become an unquestioned advantage in comparison with alternative methods and will lead not only with respect to medical differentiation to a high accessibility and possibility for the application of cold in the space station and its equipment.        Cosmic ice chambers for the long-term storage of foodstuffs. Cosmic cryopreservation allows avoiding the use of preservatives. Foodstuffs can thus maintain their high quality during storage.        Cosmic refrigerating chambers offer the long-term storage of pharmaceuticals, viruses and other biological objects.        Cosmic cryochambers for the long-term storage of cryologically preserved items and other biological objects (e.g. blood components, cells, tissue and other biological components).        
From U.S. Pat. No. 5,699,982 A, a spacecraft is known which is provided with heat radiating bodies which discharge the heat which is produced by transmitting and receiving devices on board. So-called heat pipes are used to ensure heat transportation.
DE 43 44 025 C1 describes a spacecraft with a cooling unit which is an insulated box. Cooling is limited to items inside the box so that use of such cooling unit is limited. Particularly it is not possible to cool devices located in some distance from the cooling unit. EP 870 677 A shows another cooling system. However, no solution is given to the above problem.
As described above, the requirements to provide low temperatures are numerous and are also subject to certain changes in the course of a manned mission of a longer duration. A universally applicable and adaptable supply with cold cannot be achieved with the systems known to date.
It is the object of the present invention to avoid such disadvantages and to further develop the apparatus of the kind mentioned above in such a way that a plurality of different devices and applications can be supplied with low temperatures. Special emphasis shall be placed on the flexibility in a spatial and temporal respect as well as in respect to the required temperature level.